Having more than one cat share your household can sometimes be a bit tricky, but it can also be very fulfilling for your pets as well as for yourself! Before getting a new cat, there are many factors to consider. Territory, age, background, the personalities of each cat, gender and spay/neuter status all play a big role in how well the cats will get along.

Cats can be very territorial, therefore making sure your household can accommodate multiple cats is important. Four cats in a studio apartment is unwise, however four cats in a large apartment or home could be ideal. Make sure that each cat has his own place to nap, hide or just hang around. Remember too, cats like to perch, so make sure they have high places to jump and play.

Preferably the new cat should be younger than, or very close in age to, your current cat(s). An older cat who is dominant or aggressive may intimidate your current cat. Be careful not to get a kitten that is too young. Kittens younger than three months may have not developed the social skills they will need to protect themselves. They can easily be intimidated and/or abused by older cats to the point where it can cause damage to their personalities.

A "middle aged" cat, between eight and ten years is more settled and may be less active. Be considerate of these things when you are looking for a pal cat. A spitfire ball of energy may not be much appreciated by this type of cat.

Elderly cats, twelve plus years, may have health problems and could be a little crabby. They may not tolerate any new cat, no matter the age. Though this is not an impossible situation, consult a vet and a behaviour specialist before you bring in a new kitty.

The gender of each cat can be very important. Although each cat and each environment is different, statistical evidence supports SAME genders get along better than opposite. This is contrary to what most people have believed. This is probably because among dogs, opposite genders tend to get along better. Until recently, little research has been done regarding cat behaviour. Experts simply based much cat behaviour on what they knew of dogs.

However, if one or both of the cats have not been altered, no matter the gender, there can be hormonally related problems such as urine marking, fighting, or breeding. Cats who have been altered have a greater chance of getting along. Get your pets spayed or neutered ~ it makes for a happy, longer life for all pets!

If your current cat is not "fixed" (spayed or neutered), have that done before you adopt another cat. Wait six to eight weeks after the surgery to bring a new cat home. Since a "fixed" animal's scent changes somewhat after a spay or neuter surgery, he will need this time to adjust.

Try to find out as much about the new cat's background as possible. Has this cat lived with other cats before? Did he get along well? Was he an indoor or an outdoor cat? What type of personality did the parent cats have? What was his previous household like? Were there children there? Has he exhibited any behaviour problems in the past? If the cat is a stray from our shelter we can inform you on which type of personality he/she has and which type of cat he would most get along with.

It is also important that each cat has his own litter box. While they may not use the box you assign them, each cat also may not appreciate having to share one box with another cat. Try not to move the boxes around as this may be too disruptive. Separate food bowls, away from the litter boxes, are recommended, though a communal water bowl is fine.

When you finally bring the new cat home, keep him in a separate room for up to seven days. This is very important. The current cat needs time to become accustomed to the scent of the new cat before seeing him. The new cat also needs time to acclimate in his new environment. This is also a good time to assess the health of the new cat without jeopardizing your current cat's health.

Once you feel most of the tension has passed between the cats, allow them to see each other through a screen or a small opening in the door. Continue to do this for a few days. When the hissing has turned to interest it's time to introduce the cats face to face.

Make sure you are home on the day you decide to introduce the cats. Don't leave them alone together. Be sure to be calm and relaxed. You will be creating the atmosphere in which your cats will be meeting for the first time. If you are nervous, they will be too.

Do not restrain either cat in any way. This does not allow the cats to feel they have a choice to run away or to stay. It may make them feel defensive and a fight could break out. Instead, let the new cat out of isolation and let the cats encounter each other on his or her own. Expect some hissing, growling, swatting, and general nastiness. You are best not to interfere unless the cats are causing severe physical damage to each other. At that point, break up the cats by squirting water at them or throwing a pillow at them. Do not punish either cat. They are doing what is normal for cats who are strangers to one another. You also do not want them to associate punishment with the other cat.

It is all right to leave the cats out and about when someone is home, but when they are to be alone it is wise to separate them again. Be patient. It may be several weeks before you feel comfortable to leave them alone together. The first time you do, leave them alone for a very short period and gradually increase the time as they get along better.

These cats may become great friends or they may learn to just tolerate each other. Whatever happens, feel confident that your cats will work things out one way or another. Be aware that even cats that are well bonded to each other will sleep together, groom each other, and still have an occasional spat.

Signs of a big problem include litter box lapses, severe fighting (in which blood is drawn), lethargy, depression, and lack of appetite. If your cats show any of these signs, or if you have a question, do not hesitate to call us for advice.
Remember that good relationships do not happen overnight. It sometimes takes months for your animals to iron things out. Your patience and perseverance will pay off in the long run.

Introducing 2 cats

Resident cats don't always appreciate a new cat. But usually, when you have one cat, you end up with another, whether it be a kitten needing a home or a stray cat finding itself on your doorstep. If you have a cat already it can be difficult to offer a home to another cat when not knowing how they would get along... Introducing a new cat to another cat is very important, if this is done incorrectly the cats may never tolerate each other... ever!
But following this advice should help.

Step 1
Keep the new cat in a separate room for a day or too. Keep the door closed. Both cats will sense that there is another cat in the house but they will be unable to confront each other directly as the door is closed.
Scent is the most important part of introductions. Groom the new cat and then place the comb near the resident cat, let that cat smell the comb, the cat my hiss at the comb and not be too happy, but this is normal. Do the same with another comb and let the new cat smell it. Stroke the cats often without washing hands in between stroking, so they can smell each other, let them get to know each other via the scent but not direct introduction just yet.

Step 2
After 2 days (or when you feel comfortable) open the door slowly and let the cats meet for 5 minutes, then after 5 minutes close the door again and keep them separate, do this each day or twice a day until they "tolerate" each other, then leave the door open.

Step 2 -an ALTERNATIVE
After completing step 1...Another method popularly used (which i have never tried) is, place the new cat in a cat carrier, open the room door and let the resident cat come over to the new cat in the carrier and smell the new cat and investigate through the carrier bars for 5 minutes 6 times a day. Agression or fear may show at this point, but the cats may just smell each other as they are unable to attack each other directly. Then when comfortable let open the carrier door.
The new cat may always resort back to its original room when it feels threatened or scared. Always keep them under supervision for a few weeks when left together in case any nasty fight breaks out. A little bit of hissing and wrestling is normal for the first few weeks until the cats decide which part of the house is theirs.

Finally...
Use separate food dishes, that way they are not in competition for food. Also cats always prefer separate litter trays, otherwise "accidents" may happen" always make sure the cats have at least 1 litter tray each .
Remember cats won't necessarily become "best friends" like we would all hope, but the important thing is that they "tolerate" each other and not "hate" each other.


This information was taken from www.purrfection.net, more fact sheets can be found here.